Method of setting printing ink



Mar h 0,1942. A. E; GE SSLER,

METHOD OF SETTING PRINTING INK Filed July 26, 1940 INVENTOR ALBERT E. GESSLER NEY mated Mar. 10, 1942 burrs!) STATE 1 METHOD OF SETTING PRINTING INK Albert E. 'iessler, NewlYork, N. Y., asillgnor to Inter-chemical Corporation, New York, N. Y.,

' a corporation of Ohio Application July 26, 1940, semi Np. 347,659 tclalms. (01. 101-416) This invention relates to'the art of printing, and has particular reference to a new and novel method of drying typographic or lithographic printing inks containing solvents which are substantially' non-volatile at ordinary room temperatures, but which evaporate rapidlyat elevated temperatures.

In my U. S. Patent No. 2,087,190, issued July 13, 1937. I first described a new type of printing ink containing a binder dissolved in a solvent substantially non-volatile at ordinary pressroom temperatures, but which evaporates rapidly at temperatures of the order of 150 0., and which made possible the high speed typographic print-- I the heaters may be substantially reduced for a solvent of any given volatility. My method comprises treating the printed material, after printing, with a rapidly volatile combustible liquid,

and passing it through a simple open gas flame, whereby the added readily volatile liquid immediately ignites, and thus induces and aids in the evaporation and ignition of the solvent in the ink, reducing materially the amount of gas ordinarily needed to cause combustion of evaporation. Because the solvent and" added liquid burns immediately adjacent the printed mateial, its heat is most eifectively utilized. and

lower operating temperatures are attained. The low boiling liquid used should have a flash point so low that it ignites at ordinaryjroom temoerature, or slightly above room temperature. I have found that liquids with a flash point of 100 .F. (open cup) or lower'are satisfactory for use in my method.

Preferably, the added liquid is one which has no substantial solvexrt effect on the binder of the ink, and is miscible with the less volatile sol vent. If such a volatile liquid is used, the volatile liquid, on admixture with the solvent of the ink, precipitates the binder and causes drying;

the ink solvent, thus preventing resoftening of 1 the ink.

. The liquid may be appliedby spraying, by a coating machine, by an intaglio cylinder, or by any other means. Preferably, it is somewhat thickened with a solute, in order to enable more even application. 1

v The attached drawing shows diagrammatically a set up with which my invention may be practiced. The paper web H passes through a typographic printing unit 12 Where an ink is applied, comprising pigment dispersed in a vehicle comprising a binder dissolved in a solvent substan-' tially non-volatile at ordinary press room temperatures. The intaglio cylinder l3, cooperating with the impression cylinder l4, applies a coating of readily ignitable liquid to the sheet; it immediately goes into the combustion chamber I5, equipped with a row of burners l6, which ignites the solvent, the combustion continuing during the passage of the web through the chamber, and being substantially complete in the chamber. An exhaust vent l'l removes the products of combustion. The web is then passed over a cooling roller I8 to a rewind, or to another printing unit for printing another color or for printing the reverse side.

Typical examples of combinations which may be used to produce the desired effect are the following:

Example 1 An ink of the following composition is printed The printed web is then passed through a spray of 80% ethyl alcohol, and directly into a combustion unit where the alcohol is ignited, thus causing evaporation and ignition of the solvent of the ink.

Example 2 n ink consisting of" Parts by weight Alkyd resin (glycerol phthalate, modified with 22% non-drying oil acids'and 19% rosin).-' 35.0 Butyl carbitol acetate 17.5

the combustion of the liquid and solvent there- I after removes both the very volatile liquid and Petroleum distillate (boiling range 250- was printed as in Example 1, and set by coating with isopropyl alcohol laid down from a gravure cylinder, followed, by flashing of the alcohol and I combustion of the vapors of the petroleum distillate. Preferably, the isopropyl alcohol is thickened by incorporating 1% of 5 second alcohol soluble nitrocellulose, or 1% of 1000 second ethyl Petroleum distillate (boiling range 279- 334 C.) 25.0 Chrome orange pigment 45.0

is set by the use of isopropyl alcohol, as in Example 2, I

1. The method of high speed printing which comprises applying to a surface a press-stable printing ink comprising a solution of a binder in a solvent substantially non-volatile at ordinary press room temperatures, thereafter applying to the printed surface a combustible liquid volatile at room-temperatures, and passing the printed surface through a combustion chamber Y'containing an open flame whereby the added liquid immediately ignites and the liquid andlink solvent are vaporized and the vapors burned.

2. The method ofhigh speed printing which comprises applying to a surface a press-stable printing ink comprising a solution of a binder in a solvent substantially non-volatile at ordinary press room temperatures, thereafter applying to the printed surface a combustible liquid having a flash point below about 100 F., and passing the printed surface through a combus Other inks containing combustible liquids may 20 @1011 chamber containing an p flame whereby be used; and the solvent used for priming the combustion of the ink solvent may be any com- 0d may obviously be applied to typographic and lithographic printing, and to sheets or webs of paper, metal and other printable surfaces.

I claim:

the added liquid immediately ignites and the liquid and ink solvent are vaporized and the vapors burned.

3. The method of claim 2 in which the added 25 liquid is thickened with a solute.

4. The method of claim 2 in which the added liquid is miscible with the ink solvent and is a non-solvent for the ink binder.

. ALBERT E. GESSLER. 

